Speed-indicating apparatus.



No. 315071. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906. L. mssm.

SPEED INDICATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7,1904.

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W aw -1% L. NISSIM.

SPEED INDIGATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION II LED NOV. 7,1904.

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Jffmey PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

No. 814,071. A PATENTED MA-R. 6, 1906.

L. NISSIM. v SPEED INDIGATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED B01719.

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the con UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed November 7, 1904. Serial No. 231,755.

To a, whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LoUIs NIssIM, mechanician, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 88 Baxter avenue, Southend-on- Sea, in the county of Essex, England, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Speed-IndicatingApparatus, 0 which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a speedindicating and recording device wherein a suitable air-compressin apparatus is driven from a moving part of t e vehicle or the like whose speed is to be determined, and the compressed air operating in a cylinder having an esoapement-opening causesto move outward to a greater or less extent a piston which controls said escapement-opemng, according to the amount of the air supplied, whereby through a suitable device the desired indication is given.

The instrument i p licable for indicating and recording the speeds of cars, cycles, motor-vehicles, trains, -&c.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the a paratus, taken on the line A B of Fig. 2. ig. 2 is a plan view of said apparatus with the cover removed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a modified form of apparatus with the front removed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the appara-- tus shown in Fig. 3, but with the cover removed. Fig. 4 shows a sectional elevation taken on the line C D of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows, to a larger scale, a detail of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 3'and 4. Figs. 6 and 7, respectively, are diagrammatic illustrations of the manner in which the two forms of ap aratus above indicated may be used. Fig. 8 s ows a portion of a record-strip.

Suitable means of any known kind driven by a moving part of the vehicle or the like whose speed is to be measured may be employed for compressing air. In the drawings, 'Fi 6, I have shown diagrammatically a doub e-act in air-pump 14, driven from a shaft, vehicleax e, or the like 17, as described hereinafter, said air-pump supplying to the ap aratus air in greater or less amount, accor ing to the speed of the vehicle.

Any known equivalents may be substituted for the (pump and driving means so long as ition above mentioned as to the supply of air is fulfilled. For a centrifugal air-com ing the apparatus.

instance, in Fig. 7

suming, then, a supp y ressor is shown suppl of air proportional to the speed of the vehicle under consideration, the essential parts of the recordin a aratus shown in Fi s. 1 and 2 are as fo lows: a is a cylinder fixed in a suitable casing 12, said' cylinder having an inlet 0' at the bottom for the compressed air. At one side of the cylinder is a vertical slit (1 of perhaps one-hundredth of an inch breadth discharging into the flattened funnel-shaped end f of an exhaust-pipe e, the mouth of which opens outside the casing at g. The funnel f is connected to the cylinder in a removable manner by nuts h or the like. In the cylinder (1 is a piston i, which, while fitting as closely as ossible, must be arranged to work freely. Tlie piston-rod Z is guided in a cap is and engages by a pin m in the slot n of a rod I 0, hinged to the op osite side of the casing at p. At the top of t e casing is a frame q, held in place, for 1nstance,-by lugs 19 and screws 20. From one arm of this frame projects downwardly a stud 1'. an adjustin -nut s, forming an abutment-for a coiled spring t, while the lower end of said spring rests in a cup u, connected to the rod 0 at o.

Two paper-carrying drums w a: are supported in the casing, r mstance, by brackets y at the bottom and by pins 2 at the top engaging in the frame g. In the arrangement shown the drum w has at the top a ratchetwheel 2, engaged, on the one hand, by a springheld sto -pawl 3, mounted on the frame 9, and, on t eiother hand, bya spring-held driving-pawl 4, mounted on an arm 5, which is ivoted about the stem z. The piston-rod Z as a head 6 formed square in the exam le shown in order that it may act as a guide against the walls of the casing 21, and to said head is hinged at a suitable point 7 a link 8, connected at the other end by a pin 10 to a downwardl -projecting lug 9 on the arm 5. From the ead 6 also projects an arm 11, suitably supporting a pencil or recording- .point 12 at-1ts end. The arm 11 may be made of springy material in order that the point may rest with suitable pressure against the paper on the drum :n. A spring-tongue 25, attached to the -crosspiece g and bearing on the end of drum :13, acts as a brake to keep the paper strip 13 tight between the drums to 2:. With this arrangement when air under pressure from a pump or the like, driven from a moving art of the vehicle, enters the cylinder a at t e end 0 it causes the On this stud works piston i to rise more or less according to the amount of air supplied, and 'consequently' according to the travel necessary to open a sufficient length of the slit d to allow all of said air to escape as it is supplied.

a The strip of paper 13 is marked by the penoil 12 as the piston rises and falls, and the paer is fed forward in the example shown only at the times when the piston falls by the engagement of the pawl 4 in the ratchet-wheel 2, while when the piston rises the arm 5 is moved backward, the pawl 4 sli ping over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, which is held stationary by the pawl 3. Withthis construction changes of speed only are recorded, the paper remaining stationa as long as the speed does not appreciably -a ter and also as longasthe speed is steadily rising, onl being moved forward when the speed falls o again so that the piston may descend. 'This mechanism, however, might be replaced, as explained'below, byany known form of clockwork mechanism which will continuously moveforwardthgpapler band, so as to indicate not onl the s e anges, but thetimes in which t ey ta e place. I

Fig. 6 shows diagrammatically how the above-described apparatus may be arranged for use. The casing!) inclosing the apparatus willhave a window 21 at one side through which the surface of the strip 13 canbe seen, and owing to the fact that the'indications are marked as the band comes off one drum :0 all-'therecords for some time past willbe visible at the openin asis indicated. The 'ossible outline of t e, indications mark on she sheet is seen in the figure through the win- The air-com ressing device, referabl a double-acting a ir-pump l4,may be*moun ted on'thebottom of'the cd its piston may be connected by rods, l

working on cam 16, which niay be fix the axle 17,wheel, or an part of the vehicle. As t cam will cause the roller 15'to riseand fall, thereby raising and lowering the piston-rod 18 of the air-pump 14 and causing an approximately continuous supply ofair under pressuretobefed tothec' apparatus. This a angement, as before mentioned, is only indicated by way of exam le.

he strip of paper 13 maybe ruled horizontally, as seen in Fig. 8, with'lines representing in their distance apart speeds in miles per hour or any other units, and when the apparatus is applied to any vehicle the tension of the spring t should be first adjustedso that the apparatus will record correctly for that vehicle. ever, be calibrated apart from the vehicle,

and instructions might be suppliedgiving the .&:c., in any convenient way to a roller 15, for exam le,- ed on' other convenient part rotates'the' der of the recording The apparatus might, how-- screw should occupy for working on a certain sized cam on the axle of the vehicle with a particular size of wheel.

.A modified'form of apparatus is shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 7, wherein the paper band is moved forward continuously by clockwork, while a air of hands is employed working over a 'al, the one hand to register the .maximum speed since the journey was started, while the other indicates the speed at any ,particular moment. As compared with Fig. 1, Fig. 3 illustrates the a paratus as seen from the other side in .or er to show more clearly some of the arts. The front of the casing with the dia -hands and dial is re- ;moved and the piper band 13 is partly broken away. The cy der a with its piston, air- ,escapement pipe, and certain other arts remain the, same as inthe 'firstdescri d con-' struction. The are therefore given the same letters as fore and require no further explanation. The rod '8 with the pawl mechanism operatedithereby for turning, the drum w are omitted, and the drum in this case contains a clockwork of any suitable 'form whereb it ma be continuously and slowly mo 'forw Clockwork-drums of -this character are well'known. The spring arrangement r s t u 12,. Figs. 1 and 2, is now replaced-bye '26, connected to a-lug 27 'on' the base an to t screw 28 of a block 29 which is adapted to slide along the arm 0 and to'be set in any requiredposition thereon b the screw128. Acco -as the block 29 is nearer-to orfarther from he and of the rod 0, which egfi'afes with the pin m'on the top of piston-r the spring 26' resists with greater or lessforce the rising of the piston in c linder 0, and a means of adjustment and calibration is thusprovided equivalent to that providiedby' the-arrangement r s, t-u 1:, Figs. 1 an 2.

The apparatus has a dial. In the example shown it is a semicircular dial 24, Fig. 7, with two hands 22 23. The hand 22 is mounted on '8 indie 30, which passes through the casing an carries at the rear a pinion 32, while:l hand 23 itflmountedi on'a sleeve 31, surrouningsine30anc 'gacorrepondingpihion 33. The head 6 of pistonrod lis in this case provided with an extension 34, to which is-attached by screws 35, for example, a bracket-piece 36, formed as a rack on its front edge, seen in Fig. 3 The said rack engages with the pinion 33. A second rack formed on a plate 38 is mounted in a 'de 37 on the rear wall of the casing, as seen m Fig. 4. It engages with pinion 32 and its head 39.projects over the top of the extension-plate 34,while a spring 40 connected to the base at 41 and to the mo -plate at 42,

tends to pull saidlate to its lowest position. A pawl 43,pivo on a pin 44, engages with position which the spring-tension-regulating .49, normally ho ding the trip in the position '1 shown.

A pin 50, projecting from the. inion -33, is adapted to. press back and pass t e trip 46 when moving it in one direction and to press it downward, together with the tailpiece 47, when said inion 33 moves round again in the opposite irection, thereby releasing the pawl 43 from its pinion 32.

This apparatus operates as follows: As the. piston in cylinder a rises and falls, according to the speed of the vehicle and the conseuent amount of air supplied, the rack 36' rises and'falls, turning with it pinion 33 and the hand 23. This hand, therefore, always shows on the dial 24 (when the apparatus is properly calibrated) what is the s eed at every moment. The rack 38 is raise by the engagement of plate 34 with its head 39, turning its pinion 32 with hand 22. Said rack is, however, prevented from returning with the plate 34 and piston i when the speed falls, owing to the action of pawl 43. Hencewhen the apparatus is in working the hand 22 always registers the maximum speed since the start, and said hand remains in the same position when the apparatus stops working. Immediately, however, that a fresh start is made, the piston 11 being at the bottom of its cylinder because no air-pressure exists below said piston and the pinion 33, operated from said piston by rack 36, being therefore in such position that the pin 50 is behind the trip 46, said pin 50 as the pinion 33 is turned engages the trip, releasin the awl from pinion 32, and so allowing t e pinion, with the hand 22 and rack 38, .to move back underthe action of spring 40, whereupon the hand 22 is ready for registering the maximum speed in the new ourney.

Fig. 7 shows the apparatus of Figs. 3 and 4m operation. In this case a variation in the air-supplying apparatus is shown by way of example: A centrifugal air-blower 51 of known form is fixed below the casing b and driven b a belt 52 from a pulley 53, fixed on the sha t 17. The effect is of course the same as in the first-described form of apparatus. before described,'while a permanent record is marked by the pencil 12 on the pa er band 13. The form of the markings on t 'sband is different from the form shown in Fi '6 on account of the different method of riving the drum w. n

' The apparatus might be modified by omiting the recording band and drums, if referred,relying upon the hands and dial a one for the indications given. Of course if pin.- ions 32 and 33 were made smaller the hands The hands 22 23 indicate the speeds, as

could be made to turn through a greater angle for a given movement of the racks 36 38. Any of the 1parts of the ap aratus may be replaced by t eir .mechanica or known equivaen ts without departing from the scope of the invention.-

What I claim is 1. In speed-indicating apparatus, the combination of a cylinder havlng a narrow slit in its wall, a piston adapted to work in said cvlinder and to expose more or less of said slit according to the position of the piston in the cylinder, a piston-rod and means for guiding the same, a device including as rin and means for adjusting the tension-o the same external to the cylinder aforesaid, means operatively -connecting said spring device to I, the piston-rod of said cylinder, an indicating device, means connected to the piston-rod beyond the end of the cylinder for operating said device, an air-com ressing a )paratus in connection with the cy inder, and means for operating the air compressing apparatus from a moving part of the vehic e whose speed is to be measured.

2. A speed-indicatorcomprising an apparatus for'supplying air under pressure adapted to be driven from a moving part of the vehicle whose speed is to be measured, a receiving-chamber for said air under pressure said chamber having an outlet, means applied to said cylinder adapted to 0 en or ose the airoutlet more or less accor ing to the amount of the air supplied, a dial, a hand adapted to move over said dial, means adapted to move said hand as the air-outlet is opened more or less, a second hand, means adapted to move said second hand in one direction only during the time that the air-outlet is being opened or its opening increased, means tending to move the second hand in the other direction, a catch adapted normally to revent the returnlof said second hand and a trip device adapted to release said catch after the first indicating-hand has returned to a zero position and has begun to move forward again.

3. In speed-indicating apparatus the combination of a cylinder having a narrow slit in its wall, a piston adapted to work in said cylinder and to expose more or less of said slit according to its position in the cylinder, means tending to return the piston to the base of the cylinder, a dial, a hand adapted to move over said dial, means connected to the piston adapted to move said hand as the is tion, an air-compressing apparatus in connection with said cylinder, and means for operat' said air-compressing apparatus from a moving part of the vehicle whose speed is to be measured.

4. A speed-indicator comprising an a paratus for supplying air under pressure a apted to be driven from a moving part of the vehicle whose speed is to be measured, a receiving-chamber for said air under pressure said chamber having an air-outlet, a piston in said cylinder ada ted to move outward or inward and to open t e air-outlet more or less according as the amount of air supplied to the cylinder increases or decreases, a dial, two hands adapted to move over'said dial, two pinions each connected to one of said hands, a rack engaging with one'pinion and connected when the piston ismaking a movement in the outward direction, means tending to return the second rack to its starting position, a catch ada ted normally to revent the return of second rack, an a trip device adapted to release said catch after the piston has returned to its starting position and has begun to move outward ain.

testimony whereof have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscn'bingwitnesses.

- LOUIS NISSIM.

-.Witnesses:

r Hmmn'r A; GILL, t

LEONARD E. Hanna. 

